Flashlight



Patented Apr. 10, 1945 FLASHLIGHT JosephA. Gits, Chicago, lill.,assignor, by mesne assignments, to himself and `lules P. Gits, Chlcago,Ill.

Application May 2, 1942, Serial No. 441,447 Claims.' (o1. 24o-10.68)

This invention relates to a new and improved ashlight structure and moreparticularly to certain novel features of construction.

In the art of flashlight construction, durability and simplicity ofdesign are important factors in producing a satisfactory device at lowcost. While numerous designs have been proposed, it will be observedthat they generally involve a structure making the cost of manufacturehigh. Moreover,

they contain an arrangement of parts that renders them impracticalandnot durable. Irrespective of construction, many required a number ofparts vmade of metal. These metal parts ar: not only undesirable'butmake the problem of insulation to prevent battery leakage while thedevice is not in use rather diiiicult.

An object of this invention is to provide a flashlight structure that issimple, durable and inexpensive to manufacture. To this end, theinvention is directed vto a simple design of barrel or shell preferablymolded as a single piece, although this is not necessary, and having anovel form of lamp mounting with respect to the front end of the barrelto make and break the circuit in n simple way, this circuit and lampmounting being provided by a single piece Ofwire that is coiled at thefront end to act as a lamp receiving receptacle, the wire then beingextended longitudinally along the inside of the shell to contact therear terminal of the battery. A simple design of barrel closure at therear end novelly results e in a means for overcoming the spring tensionafforded by the wire coiling whereby to bring the 'front batteryterminal into circuit closing relation with the lamp bulb, this springtension normally functioning to hold the, lamp bulb in a positionagainst the periphery of an opening at the front end of the barrel. Theparts are simple and few. A simple insulation cap may tip the front endof the battery to keep the wire away from the front battery terminal andpermit control of the circuit closing action without the danger ofaccidental contact or current leakage.

A further object of the invention is to provide an improved ashlightbarrel or shell of thermoplastic material that may be molded as acontinuous piece and eliminate the usual lens and bulb carrying cap atthe front end.

A still further object of the invention is to provide in a flashlightstructure a new and novel barrel or shell that is preferably made of aplastic. material having the same index of refraction and lighttransmitting qualities as glass and to so arrange the lamp bulb in thebarrel that a certain portion of the light waves are transmittedrearwardly through this barrel and caused to reflect radially orsubstantially radially from along the periphery of the barrel to produceeffective illiunination at this area in addition to the illuminationproduced by the beam of light thrown forwardly from the lamp bulb.- Thisillumination along the barrel of the flashlight has been definitelyfound to be of value, particularly in complete blackouts where this sideillug mination aids the individual who may be handling the fashlight.

In its more specific aspects, the invention is directed to accomplishingthis latter feature by providing ribs or areas about the periphery of l@the fiashlight barrel that act as means which cause the transmittedlight waves traveling along the flashlight barrel to be reflectedoutwardly, said means being preferably, although not necessarily,arranged along the barrels periphery in a manner to distribute thesetransmitted light waves substantially uniformly from end to end of thebarrel. y l

Further objects and advantages are within the scope of this inventionsuch as relate to the arrangement, operation and function of the relatedelements of the structure, to various details *.f construction and tocombination of parts, elements per. se, and to economies of manufactureand numerous other features as will be apparent from the followingdescription and drawing which form a part hereof.

In the drawing:

Figure 1 is a side elevational View yof a flashlight embodying theinvention;

Fig. 2 is a sectional View looking down upon the parts within thecasing.

Fig. 3 is a similar section but taken at right angles to the view shownin Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is 'an enlarged sectional view taken on line of Fig. 3;

Fig. 5 is an exploded View trating the interior parts:

Fig. 6 is a View of the front end of the barrel illustrating beads isheld;

Fig. '7 is a fragmentary section of the barrel to illustrate a modifiedform of rib or light reflecting area; and

Fig. 8 is a detail section of a modified form of front end. v

.A ashlight comprising an embodiment of the invention herein disclosedis illustrated in the drawing. It comprises an 4elongated shell orbarrel I that may be reduced in diameter at the front end 2 and mayterminate in a bulb opening 3. Tubular shell I is adapted to carry oneor more batteries B and E, or some other suitable s'uirce of currentsupphr, providing battery terreinals 6 and 'I or their equivalent foropposite sides of a lamp circuit. A lamp bulb 9 is adapted to be seatedwithin shell I at opening 3, the latter being provided with a pluralityof spaced beads I 0 against which bulb 9 bears, the bulb being providedwith an annular shoulder II, a. top I2 and a terminal shell I 3, which,-in the instant case,

in perspective illusgainst'which the lamp bulb may be threaded for apurpose to be presently described.

Shoulder I! of this lamp bulb 9 is held against the inner surface ofbeads Ill so that tip I2 may either lie in or extend through opening 3.With the bulb 9 arranged in opening 3. a. direct beam of light will beproduced forwardly of the flashlight.

A wire I5 is provided to extend longitudinally of shell I. The front endof this wire I5 is coiled, as indicated at I6, to form a receptaclereceiving portion into which terminal shell I3 may be threaded, theforward convolutions of this coiled portion engaging the threads ofshell I3 and the last convolution Il which may be of larger diameterlying in a recess I8 in a cap I9. Cap I9 is preferably made ofinsulation material andis provided with a slightly larger recess 2| intowhich the front end of battery 4 is adapted to seat. The design of thiscap I9 with opposed recesses I8 and 2| uniquely provides a center wallwhich may be apertured at 22 to receive a battery terminal 23 of battery4. Also, cap i9 will be furnished with an annular wall 24 of a diameterthat may be slightly less than the internal diameter of lshell I. AInorder that wire I5 may extend longitudinally within shell I between thisshell and the batteries, annular wal12 of cap I9 is slotted at 25. Thiswire I5 may be of relatively small diameter and of light weight so thatit will in its entirety comprise only a small mass of metal. Toillustrate, the weight of wire I5 need not exceed one and one-halfpounds of metal for one thousand flashlights. The rear end 29 of wire I5is then bent inwardly to contact rear terminal l of battery 5. If two ormore batteries are used, they may be inserted in shell i in endwiserelation so that their terminals at their intermediate or adjacent endswill be held in contact with each other.

The rear end 2l of shell I is internally threaded at 28 to receive athreaded plug or closure 29 having a finished exterior disk portion 30and an apertured lug 3I extending therefrom that is adapted to bemanually gripped to turn this olosure 29 and move it either inwardly oroutwardly of shell I. Closure 29 acts as a circuit closing or openingmember. When closure 29 is threaded inwardly, pressure is applied at therear end of battery 5 to cause the latter to press forwardly in shell Iand to move thereby battery 4 so as to bring the front battery terminal23 lying in aperture 22 in cap I9 into electrical contacting relationwith the center terminal 32 on lamp bulb 9. The action of closure 29when it is moved inwardly is to overcome the spring tension that isadvantageously obtained when wire I5 is coiled at I6 and severalconvolutions are allowed to re- Vsequently, it failed to meet theproblem of current conduction from the rear of the barrel to the lamp atthe front. Wire I6 provides for minimum use of metal which is of decidedadvantage in a flashlight. The barrel I merely comprises two parts andeliminates the heretofore necessary front cap in which the lamp bulb andthe lens `assembly were inserted or by means of which access was givento the lamp bulb. In the present structurathe lamp bulb 9 is merelythreaded into the coils IB, and the cap I9 placed-over the end ofbattery with wire I5 lying in slot 25. These parts are then insertedwith batteries l and 5 into barrel I and closure 29 is then threadedinto the rear end. From the standpoint of cost, both with respect tomaterials and labor, the present structure may be made for a substantialsum less than flashlights as heretofore constructed.

Barrel or shell I is preferably molded of a plastic material. I havefound that flashlights as heretofore constructed usually confine theirlight beam to the area in front thereof and do not provide forillumination sidewise or along the handie with the result that if usedin substantially total darkness, the person handling the ashlight isunable to have the proper vision in the area about him. This diillcultymay be overcome by providing ribs 35 about shell I which function aslight reflecting means to distribute light waves transmitted through theshell I at the front end. To aid in accomplishing thisl result in a mostefflcient way, shell I is preferably made of plastic material having ahigh index of refraction. Thisv plastic material may be Lucite or someother suitable material having the necessary light transmittingcharacteristics. Also, the lamp bulb 9 may be positioned with respect toopening 3 in front end 2 to cause light waves to strike this shell sothat they may be transmitted through its wall rearwardly where ribs 35are disposed.

It is found that ribs 35 nearer the front end 2 of shell I will reflectmore light than those that are disposed at the rear end, and that theresultmain between lamp bulb 9 and the forward end of battery 4. Thisspring tension is sufficient to keep the batteries or source of currentsupply--no matter in what form it may be providedagainst closure 29 withthe inturned arm 23 of wire I5 therebetween. Hence, when this closure 29is turned several times, the advance it makes inwardly in all that isrequired to move thebatteries forwardly to bring battery terminal 23into contacting relation with lamp terminal 32. When the closure 29 isturned to move outwardly, the last convolutions of wire I5 will havesuilicient tension to cause the batteries to travel with the closure 29and break the closed circuit relation between battery terminal 29 andlamp terminal 32. It will-be understood that the arrangement disclosedis intended to effect a circuit closing relation between these two partsand that it is ing uneven distribution of reflected light by the ribscan be compensated for by grouping the ribs 35 closer together' near therear end so that substantially the same volume of light can bereflected. outwardly from the barrel at any point therealong. In otherwords, an arrangement can be provided by first using a single rib 35adjacent the front end 2, then by grouping say two of these ribs, andthen by adding to each succeeding group another rib so thatsubstantially the same intensity of reflected killumination will beobtained .along the entire body.' Other arrangements to secure the sameresults can obviously be used as by changing the shape of the ribs or bylocating them in a different way, this all being contemplated as beingwithin the scope of the invention disclosed. In this connection, ribs 35may be ofl lar in cross section, and, in Fig. 7 they are illustrated assemi-circular in cross section.

The -plastic material used `for shell I may be transparent ortranslucent as long as it will permit the transmitted light waves totravel along the shell and be reiiected outwardly therefrom .when theyreach the ribs 35. These ribs 35 are found, in my opinion, to act aslight reflecting means and function. to interrupt the light waves andreilect them substantially radially of shell I.y The same type ofplastic material may be used for closure 29 although this is notnecessary. 0n the other hand, by employing beads I to sup- Yport thelamp bulb 9, spaces 36 may be provided and walls 31 are therebyobtained, which, I believe, alord a more emcient arrangement for theabsorption of the transmitted light waves emitted from lamp bulb 9.Thus, the light waves are permitted to travel rearwardly through thebody of the shell I so as to be reilected outwardly, at the ribs 35.

In Fig. 8, beads II are provided on the inner surface'and adjacentopening 3 at the front end of barrel I. These beads 4I will also keeplamp bulb 9 properly centered in opening 3 and 'support the same atshoulders I I.

Without further elaboration, the foregoing will so fully explain thegist of my invention that others may, by applying current knowledge,readily adapt the same for use under varying conditions oi service,without eliminating certain features, which may properly be said toconstitute the essential items of novelty involved, which items areintendedto be dened and secured to me by the following claims.

I claim:

1.' A ashlight comprising a shell of molded in sulation material adaptedto receive one or more 3. A flashlight comprising a shell adapted toreceive one or more batteries providing battery terminals for oppositesides of a lamp circuit, one end of said shell having an openingtherein, a lamp bulb seated within said shell at said opening, a wireextending substantially the length of said shell, an insulation capbetween said lamp bulb and the. front battery terminal, said cap beingseated over the-end of the battery and being apertured to expose thefront battery terminal, the front end of saidv wire being coiledv toprovide a receptacle for 'said lamp bulb, one of the convolutionsseating against said cap concentrically about said aperture and normallyholding the lamp bulb away from both said aperture and said frontbattery terminal whereby to maintain an open circuit condition,l a slotin the periphery of said cap for receiving the wire extending rearwardlyin said shell, the rear end of said wire being bent into contact withthe other battery terminal.

4. A iiashlight comprising a, shell adapted receive one or morebatteries providing battery terminals for opposite sides of a lampcircuit, one end of said shell having an opening therein. a lamp bulbseated within said shell at said opening, a wire extending the length ofthe batteries,

. an insulation cap between said lamp bulb and the front batteryterminals, said cap being reits aperture, the opposite recess of saidcap litting over and upon` one end of the batteries so batteriesproviding battery terminals for opposite sides of a lamp circuit. oneend of said shell being rounded and terminating with an opening in theend thereoif, a lamp bulb seated within said shell at said opening, awire extending the length' of said shell, the front end of said wirebeing formed into a receptacle receiving portion for said lamp bulb, therear end of said wire beine in contact with one of said batteryterminals, and an insulating cap at the front end, said cap being cupshape at one face to seat the formation of said wire in nested relationtherein at the front end whereby to hold said lamp bulb centered andkeep said wire away from the other battery terminal, said cap beingapertured about said other battery terminal, and means for bringing saidlamp bulb and said other battery terminal into circuit closing relation.

2. A nashlight comprising a shell adapted to I portion of saidwire',said cap being apertured but holding said coiled wire portion ,away fromsaid aperture and the other battery terminal, and means for bringingsaid lamp bulb and said other battery terminal into circuit closingrelaI tion through said aperture.

that the front battery terminal is exposed through said aperture, theperipheral wall of said cap being slotted to permit said wire to extendlongitudinally oi said shell, the rear end or said wire being bent tocontact the rear battery ter tending lengthwise `of said shell, thefront end of said wire being coiled to receive the lamp bulb and toeiect a spring tension holding the lamp bulb against the periphery ofsaid shell being slotted t0 permit said wire to extend longitudinally ofsaid shell, the rear end of said wire vbeing bent to contact the rearbattery terminal, and adjustable means at the rear end of said ,shellfor overcoming said spring tension whereby to eiect a closed circuitcondition for said lamp bulb by axially moving the'batteries forwardlyto bring said front battery terminal into electrical relation with saidlamp bulb.

H A. GITS

